Well drilling bit



March 13, 1956 J, M. MONATT 2,738,165

WELL DRILLING BIT Filed Jan. 5, .1954

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I 27 1/28 1 I I 1 1 5/ 1 33 30 I INVENTOR. James M. MC Naif 7%?77201/{0244 ,Gmm v United States Patent O WELL DRILLING BIT James M. McNatt, Alamogordo, N, Mex. Application January 5, 1954, Serial No. 402,217

Claims. (Cl. 255 -61) This invention relates towell drillingv equipment for cable tools, and more particularly to an improved well drilling bit of the type wherein cuttings from drilling are collected as drilled and carried to the ground surface for emptying.

A main object of the invention is to provide an improved well drilling bit which is simple in construction, which is provided with means for collecting drill cuttings,

and which is arranged so that the cuttings may be readily removed from the bit after the bit has been carried to the ground surface for emptying.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved well drilling bit which is inexpensive to fabricate, which is rugged in construction, and which is provided with means for collecting samples of the drilling cuttings, said means being arranged so that access to the interior of the bit for removal of the samples is readily obtained when the bit has been elevatedto the ground surface, the sample-collection means otherwise being non-interfering with respect to the normal operation of the bit.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an improved drilling bit constructed in accordance with the present inventron.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view, partly in vertical cross section, of the bit of Figure 1, shown with the hinged doors thereof in open positions, providing access to the slush-collecting chambers of the bit.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the bit shown in Figures 1 and 2 with the hinged doors in closed positions.

Figure 4 is a bottom view of the bit of Figures 1 and 2, also with the hinged doors in closed positions.

Figure 5 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 4. t

Figure 7 is an enlarged cross sectional detail view taken on the line 77 of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, the improved well drilling bit is designated generally at 11 and comprises a tubular main body 12 of circular cross section and of substantial length, said body being provided with the axially extending partition plate 13 which extends diametrically across the body 12 and projects slightly beyond the upper end of said body. Rigidly secured in the body perpendicular to the partition plate 13 and extending radially in the body are the respective auxiliary partition plates 14, 14, the partition plates 14 extending upwardly to the same height as the partition plate 13 at the top end of the body 12. The partition plates 14, 14 and 13 together with the adjacent portions of the tubular body 12 define respective pairs of diametrically opposed spaces 22, 22 and 23, 23. The bottom portions of each of the spaces 23, 23 is closed off by a sector shaped plate 24 to thereby convert each of the spaces 23, 23 into slush collection chambers. Two metal flanges, shown at 24, 24 are arranged perpendicular to and are welded to the plates 24, 24, said flanges being parallel and being spaced to receive therebetween the upstanding flange 18 of the drill blade 20. Flanges 24', 24' and 18 have registering bolt holes to receive fastening bolts 19.

Secured to the intersecting portions of the top ends of the partition plates 13, 14, 14, and extending axially with respect to the body 12 is the connecting pin 15, of standard construction, which is provided with the usual externally threaded top stud element 16 adapted to be threadedly engaged with the standard drill stem, for supporting the drilling bit.

Designated at 17 is a generally oval plate member provided with the upstanding flange 18 which is received between the flanges 24, 24' and is bolted thereto by a plurality of bolts 19, as above described and as shown in Figures 2 and 6. Rigidly secured to the elongated oval plate 17 is the drill blade 20, said blade being of downwardly tapering cross sectional shape and having the bottom cutting edge 21 disposed in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of the body 12 and lying in a diametral plane bisecting the slush collection chambers 23, 23 as is clearly shown in Figure 4.

The top portion of each of the partition plates 13 is provided with two apertures 25, each aperture providing communication between the top portion of the space 22 with the adjacent slush collection chamber 23. Positioned within each of the spaces 22 in coacting relation with respect to the adjacent aperture 25 is a bafile plate 26, the baffle plate extending at an upwardly directed angle toward the adjacent aperture 25 and secured'to the adjacent portion'of the tubular body 12. Each bafile plate 26 partially obstructs the adjacent space 22 and serves as a guide for the slush or drill cuttings from the space 22 through the adjacent aperture 25 into the complemental slush collectionchamber 23.

The portion of the tubular body 12 forming a part of each slush collection chamber 23 is provided with an opening 23 which is closed by an openable door 27, the door being hinged to one edge of the associated opening, as at 29, as shown in Figure 2. The doors 27 areof cylindrical curvature, similar to the curvature of the body 12 and merge with said body when closed, as shown in Figure l. The doors are formed at their top and bottom free corner portions with the recesses 3t), 31) having the apertured outer wall portions 31. The body 12 is formed with similar recesses 32, 32 having apertured outer wall portions 33 adapted to register withthe apertured wall portions 31, 31 of the recesses 30 when the doors are closed. When the doors are closed, fastening pins 34 are engaged through the apertures in the wall portions 31 and 33 and are secured in positions such as that shown in Figure 7, by cotter pins 35, 35 extending through the pins 34 adjacent the respective apertured wall portions 33 and 31 to releasably secure the pins 34 in locking position. It will be readily understood that the pins 34 may be removed by removing one of the cotter pins 35 from each of the pins, allowing the pins 34 to be withdrawn from the apertures in the registering wall portions 31, and 33, whereby the doors 27 are released and may be opened to provide access to the respective slush chambers 23, 23.

It will be further understood that the cutting blade 20 is of suitably hardened metal to provide the desired durability and penetratability into the material being drilled.

As will be seen from Figure 1, the top edge of the tubular body 12 is formed with a successive notch portion 36 which, together with the projecting top portions of the partition plate 13 and of the partition plates 14, 14 serve as a guide for preventing the bit from becoming entangled with the edge of the casing when the drilling is done below the casing.

The bottom edge of the tubular body 12 is hardened, so as to define a cutting edge 40.

In operation, the bit of the invention is attached to a' Patented Mar. 13, 1956 stinger having a swivel action on the drilling cable, the drilling cable being of sufficient size and length to reach any desired depth. With the bit of the invention thus mounted, the drilling is effected by repeating liftings and droppings of the bit. On the downstroke, the bit strikes the bottom of the well, the drill blade 20 with its cutting edge 21 and also the cutting edge 40 then penetrates the earth, loosening a portion of the'earth and agitating the loosened earth and water to form an admixture, such admixture beingtermed slush, muck or mud. The impact of the downstroke causes a substantial amount of the slush to be forced upwardly through the spaces 22, 22 against the bafile plates 26, 26 through the apertures 25, 25 into the slush collection chambers 23, 23. With each downstroke additional slush is-forced into the collection chambers 23, 23 adding weight to the bit and increasing its cutting power. When it is desired to empty the slush from the chambers 23, 23 thebit is raised to the surface and the doors 27, 27 opened, permitting the slush to be removed from such chambers.

During the drilling, the cuttings of rock day, being heavier than the liquid portions of the slush, will settle to the bottom of the slush collection chambers 23, 23, the liquid portion of the slush rising above the cuttings. The impact of the downstroke and the slight swivel action of the upstroke causes the removal of the liquid portion of the slush from the slush collection chambers 23, 23 through the apertures 25, 25 into the spaces 22, 22 and thence to the bottom of the well, thereby providing liquid for continued drilling.

The bit of the present invention, being round, avoids a fiat hole, so that the casing, pumps, and the like, may be properly installed. Being round and elongated, the bit drills a straight hole due to the fact that it fits the hole tightly and will not follow sloping boulders or slanting formations.

Rock, clay, masses of debris, slush and the like, forced by the impact of the bit while drilling up through the water passages 22, 22 is guided into the slush compartments 23, 23, where it is caught and retained until released by opening the doors when the bit is elevated to the surface of the ground, thus eliminating pulverizing of said rock, masses of debris, and the like, keeping the hole free of slush, thereby providing increased speed and efficiency by reducing much of the bailing with a slush bucket, as is presently required.

With the bit of the present invention, cave-ins are less likely to fall between the well walls and the bit. Said cave-ins fall into the slush compartments or through the water passages, being drilled up and forced back into the slush compartments, eliminating hanging-up on said caveins, which is less likely to occur, due to the fact that the slush travels through the inside of the bit rather than up the walls of the well. (Old type bits cause cave-ins and hang-ups due to their varying size and slope from top tobottom.) Old type bits have inclined surfaces, tending to wedge rock, clay, and the like, between the well walls and the bit.

In the bit of the present invention, the blade is detachable, whereby it may be quickly and inexpensively changed, thus eliminating the necessity of hand dressing the bit.

The successive notch portions 36 at the top of the body 12 are so designed to prevent hanging-up underthe casings, when drilling is below the casing.

In the event that it becomes necessary to ream a small bore hole to a larger size, the bit of the present invention may be employed as a reamer without any modification, due to the fact that the bottom edge of the body 12 has the cutting edge 40. When the reaming is completed, the bit is in a position to resume normal drilling operations.

Should the bit wear down to under-gauge size, it can be dressed to over-gauge size by a welding and hardening process; the round configuration of the cutting edge 40 of the. tubular body 12, of the bit preventsa flathole,

(Old type bitsoften leave a flat hole when drilling-througha hard formation, and when dropping into a soft formation they turn and are wedged below the flat place in the hole.)

While a specific embodiment of an improved well drilling bit has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood 'that various modifications within the spirit of the invention mayoccur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the inventionexceptas defined by the scopev of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A well drilling bit comprising a tubular main body, a dependingcutting blade secured to the bottom end of said main body and extending perpendicular to the axis of said main body, respective partitions in said main body extending axially in said body and being annularly spaced around the axis of said body, defining a plurality of spaces in said main body, means closing off the bottom of one of said spaces to define a slush-collection chamber, said collection chamber being in communication with the other spaces at its top end, and a door hinged to said main body and defining a closure for said chamber.

2. A well drilling bit comprising a tubular main body,- a depending cutting blade secured to the bottom end of said main body and extending perpendicular to the axis of said main body, respective partitions in said main body extending axially in said body and being perpendicular to each other, defining a plurality of spaces in said main body, means closing off the bottom ends of a pair of said spaces to define a pair of slush-collection chambers, each collection chamber being in communication with the other spaces at its top end, and respective doors hinged to said main body and defining closures for the slush-collection chambers.-

3. Awell drilling bit comprising a tubular main body, a depending cutting blade secured to the bottom end of said-main body and extending perpendicular to the axis of said main body, respective partitions in said main body extending axially in said body and being perpendicular to each other, defining a plurality of spaces in said main body, means closing off the bottom ends of a pair of diametrically opposed spaces to define a pair of slush-collection chambers, each collection chamber being in communication with the other spaces at its topend, and respective doors hinged to said main body and defining closures for the slush-collection chambers.

4.- A well drilling bit comprising a tubular main body, a depending cutting blade secured to the bottom end of said main body and extending perpendicular to the axis of said body, partition means extending axially in said main body and subdividing said main body into a plurality of spaces, means closing off the bottom of one of said spaces to define .a slush collection chamber, said collection chamber being in communication with another oneof said spaces, and an openable door carried by said main body and defining a closure for said chamber.

5. A well drilling bit comprising a tubular main body, a depending cutting blade secured to the bottom end of said main body and extending perpendicular to the axis of said body, partition means extending axially in said main body and subdividing said main body into a plurality of spaces, means closing off the bottom of alternate ones of said spaces to define a plurality of slush collection chambers, each of said collection chambers being in'communication with the adjacent one of said spaces, and an openable door carried by said main body and defining a closure for each of said chambers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

